Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
Support Groups For Parents
Parents who suffer the loss of a child to SIDS typically feel immense sorrow and grief over the unexpected and mysterious death. They also may feel guilty and blame themselves for not being more vigilant although there was nothing they could have done. Parents and other relatives of SIDS victims often find it helpful to attend support groups designed to offer them a safe place to express their emotions.
Everyone affected by the death of a baby to SIDS may need special support. This includes doctors, nurses, paramedics, other health care providers, police officers, and the babysitter or friend who may have been caring for the baby when it died. Ideally counseling should be made available to these people. Health care professionals and law enforcement officers often have special training to help comfort the grieving survivors of a SIDS death.
See also Neuroscience; Sleep disorders.
Resources
Periodicals
Beckwith, J.B. "Defining the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome." Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 157(3) (2003):286-90.
Berry, P.J. "SIDS: Permissive or Privileged Diagnosis?" Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 157(3) (2003):293-4.
Bower, Bruce. "Co-sleeping Gives Babies a Boost." Science News. 144 (4 December 1993): 380.
Byard, R.W., H.F. Krous. "Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: Overview and Update." Pediatr. Dev. Pathol. (Jan 21, 2003) [epub ahead of print].
Cutz, E. "New Challenges for SIDS Research." Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 157(3) (2003):292-3.
Horchler, Joani Nelson, and Robin Rice Morris. The SIDS Survival Guide. Hyattsville: SIDS Educational Services, 1994.
James, C., H. Klenka, D. Manning. "Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: Bed Sharing with Mothers who Smoke." Arch. Dis. Child. 88 (2003) 112-113.
Matthews, T. "Sudden Infant Death Syndrome—a Defect in Circulatory Control?" Child Care Health Dev. 28 Suppl. 1(2002) 41-43.
Sunshine-Genova, Amy. "Sleep Position and SIDS." Parents. (January 1994).
Liz Marshall
Additional topics
Science EncyclopediaScience & Philosophy: Stomium to SwiftsSudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) - The Mysterious Malady, Sids Research, Risk Factors, "back To Sleep" Campaign, Sids In History